Wicked Game
by Ish
Summary: When Taki dares Maa to seduce Bad Luck’s guitarist out of revenge, Maa accepts because he's a horny, egotistical man and Hiro's too pretty for his own good. However, things don't quite go as planned when Maa starts to actually fall for Hiro in return.
1. You Look So Fine

**Title:** Wicked Game  
**Author:** Ish  
**Notes:** The pairing in this fic was inspired by an RP but the story itself was not. Rather, it gathered itself in my head and the bunnies chewed on my nerve endings until I finally caved and am now attempting my first ever multi-chaptered Gravitation fic. Many thanks to HawkClowd for lending her own skills as my beta reader!  
**Disclaimer:** My possessions extend to seven goldfish, a large doujinshi collection, and a kotatsu. I do not own _Gravitation_ nor any of the characters within, although if Maki Murakami would like to write a remix featuring Maa and Hiro, I would certainly buy it!

**Chapter 1: **You Look So Fine

The trio of schoolgirls squealing over by the convenience store's magazine rack was really beginning to grate on his nerves. A tired Ogiwara Matsuda – formally known by his fans as Maa-kun and still called that by his few friends – shoved bleached blond hair out of his face and scowled. The expression felt strange on his face after spending the entire night smiling and pouring drinks for women with way too much loose money and too few morals. The girls may have just recently woken up to head out to school, but the rockstar-turned-host had just gotten off work and was exhausted, not to mention down to his last cigarette.

He stalked over to the group of girls, using his height to reach over them and pluck the magazine out of their hands with an easy and utterly false smile. "Excuse me." He grinned and they scattered, whispering behind their hands and glancing back at him as they scampered away. He tossed a wink at one of them who had hung back a little – a cute number with her hair done up in pigtails – and she blushed and hurried to catch up with her friends.

Running his fingers through his hair again, Maa swore as he snagged a snarl. Slipping his fingers out, he glanced down to see what had in the hell had made the girls make such a fuss over. Staring back at him from the two-page spread was Bad Luck, their pink haired vocalist in his trademark Daisy Dukes. The keyboardist – about the same age as the schoolgirls who had just left in fact – was posed Mozart-style over the keys and the fucking guitarist… Well, didn't he look smart, animal print shirt hanging open, one arm slung over his guitar and that pretty boy face smirking from the glossy pages.

A growl ripped its way free of Maa's throat and, in an impressive show of fury, the magazine was torn apart and littered on the Lawson's floor. The blond stomped to the clerk and tossed the flustered man a thousand yen bill for the publication. He'd buy his cigarettes at another convenience store.

_Later that day..._

"So I told him he could shove the damn thing up his – Hey, Maa! Hello? Earth to Maa-kun? Anybody in there?"

Maa grunted, swatting Ken's hand out of his face and then slumping back down over his beer. "Would you just shut the hell up for once?"

The brunet sank back down into his seat in the small, swank Tokyo bar. "Geez, what the hell crawled up your ass and died?"

"Would you just shut the hell up for once please?" The blond tried again.

"Better, better… But no." Ken waved the bartender over and gestured for another draft, then thought better of it and ordered two. Maa's was getting pretty low and his former bandmate looked like he could use a few more pints. Although… "You sure you should be drinking on your day off?"

"Yeah, sure. Why not? Practice makes perfect and all that, right?" He straightened up, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear as he gulped down the last bit of beer, leaving a bit of head covering the bottom of the otherwise empty glass. "How's Taki anyways? You went to visit him today, right?"

Ken shook his head. "Yeah, and you're changing the subject." He let it slip for now though, paying the bartender and sliding the second beer down the counter to his friend. The music had changed to some popular American hip-hop songs and a couple of attractive women were sitting at a table to the side of them. Ken glanced towards them longingly but the blond obviously wasn't feeling up to his usual playboy self that night. "Taki's… Can you use 'good' to describe Taki, you think? He's doing well enough, anyways. Says in a few more weeks of therapy he'll be able to walk with just the cane."

"Heard that. It's his head I'd be more worried about. It seems to be screwed back on right, but that's what I thought before – well, you know. i Before. /i "

Ken's reply was lost as Maa tuned him back out again, scanning the bar randomly. Brown eyes flickered over the same girls Ken had studied just a minute before, then flickered away, uninterestedly. The other man had a point; what was wrong with him tonight? By rights he i should /i have been interested, should have been up and flirting and then walking away with one (or maybe both) of them on his arm. He'd sleep with her, she'd leave her number, he might call back once or twice before he lost it and forgot about her. It wasn't like his life had gone to hell since that night when Taki decided to fuck over Shindou-san and fuck their careers as a consequence. Somehow Seguchi-san must have gotten wind of the fact Maa and Ken hadn't been involved with the rape or the blackmail incident because they had been left alone.

They had lost their contracts, of course, which for a time hadn't left them much more to do than visit Taki in the hospital. Not that Maa had had far to go – thanks to the beating from Yuki Eiri, he'd been Taki's neighbor for a couple of days. After he had recovered though, he found his bank account was still there, a good amount of savings amassed from their previous sales. He'd had a brief and bland severance letter from N-G studios, stating there had been irreconcilable differences in artistic approach, which had led to a parting of ways for the studio and the musicians. However, it was clear enough that he wasn't going to be welcomed back, and the guitarist wasn't ready to go back to being just a back-up musician at another production studio.

Working as a host allowed him to maintain a lifestyle comparable to his one as a rockstar, and with his charm and good looks, the job came naturally to him. Ken wasn't doing too badly either. His dad had run a music shop specializing in keyboards, drums, and guitars since they were children. In fact, that had been a large contributor to fostering their fledging musical experiments and had helped ASK get off its feet. Now that the band was dead and the dirt settling on its grave, Ken's father welcomed his son's assistance in running the shop and the brunet was happy surrounded by instruments to tune up and sell off. So why did Maa still feel so discontent, like something was missing and he was just numbly muddling through his days, passing time with the occasional fling and pieces of lingering resentment.

A flash of dark red hair finally caught his eyes and when he went to check out the owner of the attractive shade, Maa almost choked on his beer. A coughing fit ensued, and Ken gave him a couple of smacks on his back in concern.

"Hey, you all right? You zone out on me again and then this?" The blond could only answer with a pointing gesture and Ken looked around, his eyes widening when he realized who his friend had seen. "Damn, that guy? Nakano, right? When's the last time we saw him?"

Getting his coughing under control, Maa nodded and wiped his eyes brusquely. "This morning actually."

"What?!"

Several of the club's patrons, including Nakano Hiroshi, turned to look at the noise-maker. Not recognizing the two at the bar at a glance, the redhead blinked but then dismissed them and turned back to his date. Right then, the only person he potentially had any business with was the wavy-haired woman across from him. Her breasts swelled gently under the soft-looking, light blue shirt she wore and her legs stretched long from under the black mini skirt. Unfortunately, Hiro's attention wasn't really on her either. Instead the nineteen year-old fiddled with his drink and re-played the previous night's phone conversation with Ayaka in his head again for the nine millionth time.

What had she meant, they weren't ready to be in love again? Or that she wasn't, at least. He had heard the regret in the Kyoto girl's voice as she spoke, but also the conviction. She had loved Eiri too much and too easily, she had said. Had dedicated herself to dreams of marrying him one day without a thought. And she was glad he could be happy with Shuichi and she liked Hiro, but she wanted to finally be seventeen.

Be seventeen. It was just her way of politely saying she didn't want to date him anymore, wasn't it? Or… no. Ayaka wasn't like that. Maybe she was right then. She'd never really been free, what with her heart and hand promised to Yuki. And while Hiro kind of liked the thought of maybe marrying her someday, she deserved to give her heart a chance to be free for sometime. If he was going to be brutally honest, even that thought of marriage had just been a daydream of "maybe someday." It certainly hadn't kept him from flirting with Yoshiki… or from enjoying it. Looking at it that way, he supposed Ayaka was right after all. But it didn't make him any happier over the situation.

The woman across from him coughed, her breasts bouncing slightly with the exhalation. Her name was… Miki, or something like that. Yeah. Miki. She was an actress his brother had met a couple of times at auditions and had helped hook Hiro up with when he discovered the younger Nakano still moping over the phone line at ten in the morning instead of going to work. Judging from the surly expression on her face now, that wasn't going to be happening.

"Hello. You look bored. Allow me to rescue you?" Hiro groaned allowed, looking up to see the ass who had decided to butt in and make the situation even worse. Fuck! He did know him.

When they were right in front of him, there was no mistaking those long blond locks or that wicked, arrogant smirk. Hiro had thought he'd seen the last of the other guitarist when N-G had cancelled ASK's contract, but here he was, pulling up an empty seat and straddling it. And his date looked relived! He wasn't sure how the night could get any worse, but he soon found out when the blond's partner-in-crime gracefully pulled his date's chair away from the table.

Maa's smirk had grown as he watched Ken smooth back his hair and approach the woman from behind. He had wandered over to the redhead's table on a whim, thinking of stirring up a little trouble: just enough to give him a hard time as benefiting their previous competition but nothing serious enough to get them kicked out. Ken-chan's smooth talking of the date was an unexpected bonus. Although… he wouldn't have minded being the one leading the well-endowed female away from them and to the bar. Instead, he grabbed Hiro's arm when the younger man showed signs of getting up to pursue him and pulled the teen back down into his seat, mouthing 'you owe me' over his shoulder to Ken. The brunet tossed him a wink and proceeded to turn his back on his friend in order to better chat up his new catch. Might as well see what he had caught as well then.

As could be expected, Hiroshi's blue eyes were sparking with fury as he yanked his arm out of the older man's grasp. "That's not funny," he hissed, spitting like a cat.

"It is from this side," Maa commented idly, holding his hands up in a gesture of peace and settling back in his own chair. "She was about to walk out on her own anyways."

Hiro struggled for an angry retort but the truth took the bite from his words. "…was it that obvious?" he said at last.

"Oooh yeah." Maa snerked and lit up a cigarette. The end caught and he breathed in, exhaling slowly before continuing. "But if it makes you feel any better, it was pretty clear you weren't having too good a time either."

"Heh." Unable to help himself, Hiro grinned. He tried to cover it up by taking a long swallow of his drink. "Didn't ask you to come rescue me, though. But since you did… mind sharing?"

"Aren't you too young to smoke?" Maa wondered aloud, but passed the redhead a cigarette anyways, holding his lighter up for him. His other hand moved to cup the one holding the lighter, ensuring it held steady while Hiro lit up. There was a moment of silence between them, broken only by the hiss of the paper catching flame. Maa absently watched the quiet concentration on the other man's face as he breathed in to encourage the heat to creep up the cigarette. It was only when Hiro shifted back and breathed out a small cloud of smoke that he lowered the lighter and spoke again. "That's two favors you owe me now."

"Two?"

"One for rescuing you from your craptastic date and one for the smoke."

Hiro grimaced. "From what little I know of you, I don't think you're the kind of man I'd like to owe any sort of favor to," he commented dryly. Happily, his cell phone chose that moment to beep him with a text message. He glanced down, seeing that it was from Shuichi. Something about K-san having caused a five-car pile-up while taking him home and now Yuki-san was blaming the pink-haired vocalist for it…

"I've got to go," he excused himself. He took one more draw on the cigarette then snuffed it out in the ashtray on the table and rose to leave, but Maa caught a hold of his sleeve again. He looked down at the man in annoyance.

"If you want to pay back that favor before I start charging interest, you could meet me at Benny's tomorrow night."

Hiro started to refuse but hesitated. "Why Benny's?"

Actually, he meant why period. It wasn't that he had anything against the blond any more. Well, other than the fact that he was an over-confident, overly smooth player who'd helped to stab the final fork into his way over-done date. In fact, if anything, there was a twinge of guilt that sprang up deep inside the redhead's stomach when he met Maa's gaze. He had been the one to tell Yuki-san about what Aizawa-san had done to Shuichi, and the novelist had taken it out on Maa and Ken. Neither he nor Yuki-san had known at the time that the two of them were innocent and had even tried to discourage Aizawa's rabid jealousy. It was only later, from Shuichi's babble mainly, that they found out the truth.

"Benny's has a small stage, complete with its own kit." That implied mike, amps, keyboards, drum set, and at least one guitar - most likely two: lead and bass. But that didn't help Hiro get at the blond's reasoning any better.

"Just come. You'll see then." Maa released the redhead's jacket. He stood as well, giving Hiro a pat on the shoulder as he walked by him. "Take care. Be seeing you."

**Final Notes:** Maa's last name is borrowed from his voice actor. _Wicked Game_ is performed by Chris Issak while _You look So Fine_ is performed by Garbage. Taki fans, please stand by for chapter two. Smut fans, also stand by. Thank you!


	2. Bad Reputation

**Chapter 2: Bad Reputation**

**_warnings: _**_angry men who use bad language, horny men who use their hands_**  
**

Aizawa Tachi sank back down into his bad with a grateful sigh. In the room's doorway, Maa waited for his friend's nurses to finish fussing over him, helping to straighten out his legs and arrange the light cover over his lower body. ASK's former vocalist had a small private room in the physical therapy wing of the hospital, complete with a small window over looking the facility's garden. The view of the departing nurses wasn't bad either, and Maa gave an appreciative whistle as the last one left his sight.

"Man Taki, what do I need to do to get back in here?"

The younger of the two gave his friend a faint, weary smile and wiped the sweat off of his forehead with his sleeve. "Get run over by a car," he said simply.

Maa winced. "Right. Sorry."

There was an awkward silence between them. Such moments seemed to come more often lately, although they seemed to have begun back when Bad Luck was first on the rise. Maa hated those uncomfortable silences and suspected (although not without a degree of shame) that they were probably the primary reason he didn't visit his friend as often as he should. He shuffled self-consciously to the awaiting visitor's chair alongside of the window and sat down, but it was Taki who broke the silence.

The brunet's gaze wandered over to the window before settling on his friend. "Heard you're in competition for top host at your club."

"Yeah." Maa managed a smile of his own and gave his bleached locks a toss. "The competition's toast; they just don't know it yet. Their number one client has been looking bored and I think she's itching for someone with a bit more bite." He snapped his teeth and gave Taki a wink. The other man laughed in response.

"Good to know some things haven't changed." Chuckling some more, he leaned back in his bed. Soon after he became subdued again, eyes wandering back to his room's solitary window and falling back into silence.

The blond tried to play it cool, but he couldn't help the bit of concern that bled into his voice. "Hey man, you don't even have to work for it and you've got the hotties fawning over you. I'd hit that nurse of yours in a second!" When the only response out of the other man was a noncommittal grunt, he changed tactics. "Besides, Ken says you're set to be out of here soon."

That roused Taki some. "As soon as I get steadier walking with the cane yeah. My endurance has been improving pretty quickly, so the doc is optimistic. Another week or two he says is all."

"Hell, that's something, ain't it?"

Taki laughed again, but it was obviously not out of good humor this time. Instead there was a bitter edge to the sound that grated on both of their ears. "Something? Yeah it's fucking something; fucking pile of shit is what it is." The blond tried to interrupt, stunned at his friend's vehemence, but Taki continued on without allowing him to get a word in. "You wanna tell me what I've got to look forward to when I get out of here? Can't charm women with a cane and a limp and I don't have a daddy with his own store to run back to. What am I supposed to do, crawl back to my parents as some embarrassing lump? Try and get back into college? Damn it, Maa…" He put his hand to his forehead, another hysterical laugh winning free. "Seguchi did a pretty good job of screwing me over. Wrecking my career, my legs, breaking apart my band…"

That last part did it. Maa couldn't believe his ears, but that was probably due to the steam that had started to pour out of them.

" _Your _band? Your fucking band?" His voice rose sharply as he stood up. "Excuse me, but who was the one who got us together in the first place? Who had to convince you guys that we could pull it off? Who was it who worked on sweet-talking bar owners into giving us a chance to play their venues and when that wasn't enough pulled a night of bar-work for free in exchange for stage-time? You think it was easy convincing the art club to design flyers for us? I still don't know how I managed not to flunk every single one of my finals, but we all know it didn't really matter because after that I got to explain to my parents that I wasn't going to be going back to college after freshman year because finally - _final-fucking-ly _- me and my friends had a chance to make it!

"I did that whole sweat, blood, and tears shit Taki! I poured my fucking life into managing ASK because I believed in us. It was OUR goddamn band – yours, mine, and Ken's – that was the whole fucking point!"

"Sir! Sir!" The nurse whose backside the blond had been admiring earlier had run back into the room when the volume had risen to the point that it could be heard all the way down at her station. Fuming, Maa barely even noticed her until she tugged on his arm. "Please calm down! If you don't, we'll have to have you escorted off the premises."

The blond's hazel eyes sparked again, but Taki coughed, interrupting whatever the older man had been about to say. "I'm sorry."

That was all he said but there was something about his tone that caused Maa's shoulders to slump and his tension to fade.

The nurse breathed out a sigh of relief and backed away warily. "I'll leave you, but please do recall that this is a hospital and you're surrounded by people doing their best to recover." She paused by the door, wondering if she should remind them that visiting hours were almost over, but then thought the better of it and exited without further comment. Maa sank back into his chair, wearily covering his eyes with his hand. Taki swallowed.

"No, I mean it. I'm sorry Maa-kun. I just…" Frustration rose in his voice. "I'm tired and aching and frustrated, and none of those are any excuse for discounting you and Ken-chan like I did. So, I'm sorry." He looked down at his hands. When he heard a loud sigh and the scratching of a cheap plastic chair being moved closer, he looked up, meeting his friend's gaze.

"Taki… Just forget about it, all right?" The corners of the blond's lips had turned up. "I should know better than to snipe at you right after a therapy session anyways."

The other man returned the grin and silence stretched between them again for a few moments, but this time it was a companionable one. Maa reveled in it before speaking once more. He wondered if he should even bring it up, but if he didn't Ken would and besides, the mood in the room had relaxed, reminding him of their "good old days."

"You'll never guess who I ran into the other day."

Taki groaned out loud in a way that indicated he both knew what was coming and was more entertained than upset by it. "Which one of them was it?"

Maa's grin grew. "The guitarist. Of course." He rolled his eyes at that. He supposed it had been pretty appropriate that he had run into his own former counterpart that night. "Ken-chan ran off with his date and, from what I hear, they're having dinner together tonight."

That won a chuckle out of Taki. "What, Ken and Nakano-san?" he joked.

This time it was Maa's turn to groan and he looked around for something to throw at his friend. He ended up settling on the TV Guide, tossing it lightly at the brunet's chest. "No. Idiot." Snorting, he then leaned back in the chair and kicked one foot up onto the bed. "Actually, I've got a bit of a date with the redhead tonight."

"You ha – hol –wai – say what?" Taki had to hold up his hands and shake his head, brought somewhere beyond confusion by the blond's words. "Date?"

Maa laughed. "Nah, he's just meeting me at Benny's. Some girls were making a fuss over a stupid Bad Luck photo shot that morning and it pissed me off… I figured I could arrange a little trick for him tonight." At Taki's apprehensive look, he clarified his statement. "Nothing bad! Just embarrass him somehow. Get him drunk and in bed with some ugly chick or something like that." He shook his head. "Oh hell, I don't know what I was thinking. Seemed like a good idea at the time."

Taki rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You were probably drunk yourself. Still… he actually agreed?"

"Yeah. No clue why." Maa shrugged. "Bored or curious maybe? His date was hot but he was completely zoned out on her. Hell, maybe he's on something?"

A slow grin was creeping over Taki's face. Maa frowned at it. It reminded him of some American cartoon character that played on the mall's television around Christmas time; a leisurely upturning of the lips accompanied by a light in the eyes that boded no good for anyone concerned.

"He your type?"

If Maa had been drinking right then he would have choked on it and the nurse with the nice rear-end would have had to been called back in to administer mouth-to-mouth. "What?!"

"Oh come on." Taki made a dismissive gesture. "Not like you've ever been shy about any of your preferences… or conquests. Remember that photographer from our Okayama shoot? Or the techie from our winter concert in Nagano? Or the interviewer from _Rolling Stone_? Or…"

Maa butted in before he could continue. "Okay, okay, you got me." Despite the abrupt interruption, the blond now wore a wide grin of his own, stretching from ear-to-ear. He obviously didn't particularly mind his friend listing off his previous dalliances. "So what makes you think i he'd /i be interested?"

Taki made a face. "He agreed to go, didn't he? Besides, the way Nakano was always attached at the hip to that brat vocalist of his when they first came out–" Maa noted idly his friend still couldn't bring himself to say Shindou's name – "I wouldn't be surprised if he had been halfway in love with him."

"Seriously, Taki? Seducing someone for revenge? It's the cliché to end all clichés. Anyone who's so much as seen a trailer for a chick flick would spot it coming from a continent away."

"By which you mean you can't do it."

"Hell no! I can do it! I'm just saying…" Maa ran his hand through his hair, realizing that Taki had just neatly tricked him into agreeing. "Damn."

"So you'll do it then." Taki was beaming like a little girl who had just gotten the pony she had always wanted for Christmas. Maa sighed, giving in.

"Yeah. I'll do it. No promises that I can break his heart and serve it to you on a platter, but I can at least mess with him a little."

Taki smirked. "Do your best."

Back in his apartment, Maa flopped down onto his bed, stretching out on his back and propping the pillow under his shoulders so that he could more easily flip through the magazine he had picked up. It was the same one he had taken from the schoolgirls and ripped into pieces just a few short days before. This time however he had purchased it himself as "research" material. He flipped the book open to the centerfold and studied it carefully. He had never paid too much attention to any of the band's looks before, so he had never noticed just how… striking his former rival really was. Comparing them, he decided with some satisfaction that the redhead was by far the prettiest one of the three.

Shindou was cute of course – wouldn't have quite so many fangirls if he wasn't. Fujisaki, too – he'd clearly inherited the Seguchi looks. But the vocalist and the keyboardist both held similar appeal: big eyes, rounded faces and button noses, and slender, almost girlish bodies. Nakano Hiroshi was different. His features were elegant and refined, framed by that wild, dark red hair that was even longer than his own. In Hiro's case, it wasn't the size of his eyes that dominated his face but their graceful shape and the calm intensity that seemed to lurk within them.

Maa touched his own locks idly as he allowed his eyes to drift closed, imaging how the redhead would look in the throws of passion. Those deep blue eyes would darken, that hair would be damp with sweat and clinging to his skin. He wondered how those long legs would look with the tight pants pulled off of them and then spread wide.

A faint groan slipped from the blond's lip; a surprise, but one he decided to roll with. He could see Nakano in his mind, spread out under him on his bed, and he was hard from the thought. Maa's eyes peeked open for another glance at the centerfold, focusing again on the guitarist as his hand crept down and stole inside his pants. The shirt in the picture was buttoned low, revealing an almost delicate looking collarbone. He squeezed his erection, keeping his strokes firm and even as his eyes closed again. God… The imaginary lips were parted slightly, the guitarist's voice no longer relegated to back-up vocals but instead letting out low pleas in his warm tenor.

It didn't take long for Maa to come, spurting into hand. He breathed out and withdrew his hand, wiping it on the magazine. As he settled back against the bed, a self-satisfied smirk crept over his face. It seemed like this dare would be even more enjoyable than he had expected. He shoved the dirtied publication off the bed, vaguely registering the dull thud of it flopping onto the floor. It could be thrown in the trash. Soon enough, he'd have the real thing and he'd take his pleasure from that before disposing of it similarly. It felt good to have a challenge again.

It felt really good.

**Notes:** _Bad Reputation_ is performed by Joan Jett. My thanks to HawkClowd for her awesome beta skills. For those reading this, Hiro will return to the scene in chapter three.


	3. For Those About to Rock

_Sorry this chapter is so late in coming. Real life interfered. You know: purse snatchings, new boyfriends, vacations to Korea, outbreaks of influenza, the usual... I still do not own Gravitation and I still adore my beta HawkClowd to no end. Oh yeah, I still own seven goldfish._

**Chapter 3: For Those About to Rock **

The entrance to Benny's was a narrow doorway sandwiched between two fashion shops, one of which sold t-shirts featuring various foreign classic rock bands. The street itself was dotted with a few other shops, several bars, and some small coffee shops. Shooting off from the main road were a number of side streets littered with hostess and host bars, the odd maid café, a helping of massage parlors, and, tucked away in the corners, a soapland or two.

Hiro reluctantly looked at his watch while he browsed the racks of concert tees blazed with tributes to the Stones, AC-DC, and a variety of other artists. He wavered over one for Led Zepplin and another for the Clash before admitting to himself that he was just procrastinating. He realized that he didn't have a single good reason for coming here. The man he was meeting might have once been a fellow N-G musician, but they had been rivals, not friends. Hell, they hadn't even been friendly rivals.

True, other than Taki's infamous crimes, ASK and Bad Luck hadn't done much more than snipe at each other. Despite paying dues to the Mutual Animosity Society, Hiro had recognized that ASK was a pretty decent band, even if he would have never admitted it out loud. He suspected Shuichi agreed with him on that, although he wasn't certain if the members of ASK felt the same way toward them.

All the same, there _were _ Taki's crimes to consider, and even if Maa had been against them, he was still the man's friend. Maybe this was all part of some elaborate plot to get revenge for his band being dissolved and for Taki's injuries? It wasn't so unthinkable...

Hiro groaned, drawing an odd look from the shop's proprietor. Irritated by the look, he gritted his teeth and grabbed both t-shirts, marching over to the counter. Handing the money over to the shop owner, he became lost in his thoughts again as he awaited his change.

He had wanted to talk to Shuichi about Ayaka's breaking up with him, but his best friend was going through a rough patch of his own with Eiri Yuki right then. Hiro didn't take it too seriously as they went through them about every other week, but he knew Shuichi did and Hiro wasn't the kind of guy who liked dumping his problems on a friend. Besides, if Shuichi got any more distracted from writing lyrics, K would kill all of them and then Hiro wouldn't have to worry about silly little things like girlfriends breaking up with him because they wanted to play the field before settling down in another relationship.

…he could always talk to Suguru, he supposed.

The redhead slapped his forehead. What the hell was he thinking? Suguru was an amazing keyboard player – an honest-to-god prodigy at the synth, even if he was prone to whining about all the odd things Bad Luck was dragged through (mainly due to Shuichi or K). But he was sixteen years old, not to mention home-schooled since junior high school. Maiko had more experience at interpersonal relationships and socialization than the keyboardist did, and Hiro wasn't about to go to her either. He wasn't that desperate for a confidant. Although, had he been, he would prefer either of them to his older brother! Yuuji had already found out about the breakup from stumbling in on Hiro the other morning, and now his shiftless elder brother had taken it upon himself to move in and "provide his darling baby brother with the support only family could give in his time of need". Personally, Hiro would have preferred one of K's bullets to his cranium.

That was it. Having Yuuji crammed into his small flat for the past couple of days coupled with the breakup had finally led Hiro to what years of association with Shuichi hadn't: he had lost his mind. Looking at it that way, accepting Maa's invitation made perfect sense. At the very least it would get him out of his apartment. Besides, he wasn't Shuichi and he had K on speed dial. If the blond tried anything, Hiro was more than ready for him.

Unfortunately, he wasn't quite prepared to bump into him directly upon exiting the shop. There was a loud _whoomph _from Hiro and an amused chuckle from the blond. Hiro grimaced and straightened, noticing that he and Maa stood at almost exactly the same height. He may have had a centimeter or two on the blond, but no more than that; not enough to make any real difference, anyways. The former guitarist had unusually colored eyes – a sort of greenish-brown hazel that was currently lit with good humor as he took a step away from the disgruntled teen.

"Was wondering if you were going to show. Find something you liked in there?" Maa grinned, gesturing to Hiro's shopping bag. He continued on without waiting for a reply. "It's a pretty nice shop, isn't it? The owner's a good guy, too. Always up for a chat, so long as you're talking music or concerts."

Taking a step back on the sidewalk, he made a sweeping motion with his arm, signaling 'after you' to the redhead. Maa wore a casual suit made out of some supple-looking fabric in such a dark grey that it might as well have been black, with a pale green shirt underneath of it. The shirt appeared as if it might have been silk, but Hiro couldn't tell for sure. He looked good though, classy and cool all at once. Hiro tugged at the collar of his own button-up - his favorite leopard-print - with a twinge of self-consciousness. He shoved it down ruthlessly, confidence quickly coming to the fore. He looked good too, he knew. Not as dressy perhaps, but still good.

"Last one in the bar buys the drinks," Hiro quipped, striding forward into the building and up the first set of stairs. He was forced to pause on the landing though, not sure exactly what floor this bar was on. He was studying the banners on the wall for a clue when Maa stepped up behind him and reached around to hit the button for the elevator. Hiro caught a faint whiff of his aftershave, something he couldn't quite place but that had a clearly masculine overtone and a hint of spice.

"Bar's on the fifth floor, but you wanna grab something to eat first?" Maa glanced over to see the redhead shrug and then stepped into the elevator, holding the door open for the younger man. He then hit the button for the fourth floor instead, a yellow-and-green sticker labeling it as the location of one King's Yawd.

Hiro glanced about the tiny lift, not that there was much to see. The elevator was tiny, dingy, and smelled of old beer and dust. If the two of them squeezed in tight together, they might have been able to fit one more person in there, two if no one minded getting really close and intimate with one another. Flyers in various states of wear were posted on the gun-grey walls and the elevator clunked slowly up to its final destination. It seemed sturdy enough, but he was slightly concerned over the grinding noise the doors made as they finally deigned to open. Maa noticed the crinkle that formed in the redhead's nose and had to laugh, scratching his head wryly.

"I know it's not much to look at, but the bars are better. Come on." He led the way out of the elevator, pointing up the stairs above them. "Up there's Benny's, which is the bar I told you about before. We're gonna stop off here first, though." He jerked his thumb to the door a few steps in front of them on Hiro's left. "King's Yawd – bar and best damn Jamaican restaurant in Tokyo. It's a little slow, but trust me, the jerk chicken is worth the wait. And the coconut stew -- mmm…"

Hiro had to give into a small grin at the expression on the blond's face as he contemplated the meal awaiting them. Maa's stomach grumbled as he opened the door for the two of them, and a soft snicker escaped the redhead. "I leave my digestive system entirely in your hands, then."

Hiro's grin widened as Maa gave him a thumb's up, the older man flopping down at a table with obvious familiarity. Hiro sat on the bench across from him, taking this new place in. Yellow, green, and red paint dominated the place, several Jamaican style paintings decorating the walls. Other than the booth they sat in there was another, as well as a few tables, the bar counter, and an open stage with a few stools and music stands but devoid of instruments. To the side of the bar was an area that could obviously be used for dj-ing and a reggae tune issued from its stereo. Behind the same bar was a man and two women, all wearing their hair in dreadlocks, one of the women with a scarf tied over her waist-length dreads. The man was dark-skinned, but both of the women appeared Japanese despite their hairstyles, and all three scurried about to cook and serve both drinks and food. Glancing down at the menu, he found that the food did indeed look good and it seemed to smell even better. He pointed at a couple of things and, after taking Maa's recommendations into account, put in his order. The blond followed suit and, ordering them a couple of beers first, settled back to study the young man sitting across from him.

"Better than the elevator, hey?" Maa commented, noting with pleasure Hiro's nod of approval. The restaurant and bar were just far enough from where he worked to avoid any of his customers and just close enough to be convenient. Besides that, the food and the drinks were both good, the music cool, the owners friendly, and Benny's was just a flight up. He and Ken liked to use this as a meeting place, so it was a little strange to look across and see the redhead instead of the short-haired brunet. Not that the view was an unwelcome one; Hiro's eyes were flickering animatedly about the establishment, lips moving slightly as he subconsciously hummed along to the song playing. The first couple of buttons to his shirt were undone and he wore some sort of arrowhead necklace, the chain of which had caught on his collarbone and was thus lying just off-center. Maa's fingers itched to adjust it, but he fought down the urge, not wanting to frighten the younger man away with such a personal action just yet. He instead flipped through his mental repertoire of small talk, searching for an appropriate topic to engage the other man. His search was cut short, however, as a pair of cool blue eyes finally came to rest on him.

"Been wondering…" Hiro started off, raking a fly-away strand of red back into place with his fingers as he gave in to asking one of the questions that had been nagging at him. "What has a guy like you been up to now that he's not playing anymore?"

"You mean what's a guitarist do when his band no longer exists?" He waited for Hiro's confirming nod, then flicked his thumb against his bottom lip a few times before answering. "Well, with any luck, by next month I'll be the top host at Club Panic."

He waited another moment before daring to reach forward and tap the bottom of Hiro's chin lightly. "You can close your mouth now," he chided gently.

Hiro coughed, his cheeks warm with embarrassment as he regained his composure. He picked up the beer that had been set in front of him, taking a long swallow. "Sorry, I didn't think. I mean, well, it does make sense," he finished rather lamely. It did too, now that he thought about it. Maa had the looks, the charm, and plenty of experience playing up to fangirls from his time as a pop star. Hell, he even had the fashion sense. "What kind of –" he paused, unsure how to phrase the question, "-what kind of club?"

Lifting his own glass with a smile, Maa clinked it against Hiro's. "Cheers," he said, eyes glittering with mischief. God, but the kid was cute when he blushed. Let's see… He knew the two founding members of Bad Luck had gotten their start right out of high school. How old did that make Nakano now? Eighteen, nineteen? Probably could pass for older most of the time, but his youth showed when he blushed. "We're pretty high class, if that's what you mean. Expensive too, but that doesn't seem to discourage our regulars any."

"So you flatter and flirt with women who are wealthy enough to afford it?" A faint expression of disproval flittered across Hiro's face. It was too easy to picture a guy like Maa taking advantage of a couple of lonely women.

"Stop." The blond's voice came out flat, all trace of amusement gone. He paused while the waitress brought their food and gestured for a refill of their beers, lowering his voice as he spoke. "Whatever you're thinking, that's not how it is. Yeah, I give them a couple of compliments and I flirt, and yeah, they pay me. But I'm not taking advantage of them any more than they are me. I know a host isn't exactly the most reputable of careers, but fuck, it's not like being a pop star is either."

Hiro opened his mouth to interject, but Maa overrode him. "These women, some of them are married to businessmen who only come home to sleep. We get a couple of hostesses, and we get career women. Singles too, but what they've all got in common is that they want to feel like they're worth a damn. They want someone who'll actually listen to what they have to say, to tell them they look pretty, that they're interesting and we're glad to see them. They may be paying us for a fantasy of romance, but we're giving them what they need: a chance to relax, some flattery, and a lot of attention. I don't need anyone's damn approval, but don't go thinking shit about what I do either. If it was that easy, they wouldn't need to come to us in the first place."

When Maa finished he dug into his stew with a vengeance, occasionally taking a large drink of beer to wash it down. Hiro picked at his chicken for a while in silent contemplation. The blond had a point; he had been making assumptions. Come to think of it, he actually knew very little about the former member of ASK. "I guess," he ventured at last, "I'm not really one to talk. My parents wanted me to go into med school."

That tentative attempt at apology won a warm laugh out of the blond man. "Mine had me going to college for business until I dropped out. I was going to be a rock star, you know." Hiro smiled back at him and Maa's stomach stirred oddly. For someone who acted so laidback, his eyes struck a surprisingly deep chord. He shook off the peculiar feeling with a snort, signaling the waitress over. "You finished here? Let's go."

Hiro slammed the last of his beer, pushing his almost-emptied plate to the side. They paid the bill and then he followed the other man up one more flight of stairs, entering a bar room with the same floor plan as the one below but that couldn't have been more different in décor and atmosphere.

Benny's was full of soft reds, cloth slung over parts of the ceiling and plush couches and chairs filling the main interior, shoved out of the way just enough to create a small dance space. Occupants were perched in or on them, tossing back drinks and chatting loudly. The whole place felt rather like a college dorm room turned nightclub, naughty posters and sports jerseys hanging on the walls, records and memorabilia spilling out of nooks and crannies. The bar itself sat directly in front of the door while the stage lay at the far end of the room, decked out with a variety of instruments. Hiro headed straight to them as if he were a metal filing pulled there by a giant magnet. Maa shook his head in amusement, shouting out a few hellos to those patrons he recognized and heading over to the bar. By the time he reached Hiro's side with two shots of tequila, the redhead had already picked up a guitar and was checking its tuning. The blond laughed at him, a rich, warm sound void of malice.

"Come on, put that down for now and come meet some people. We can wander back this way later." Hazel eyes glittered with some emotion that Hiro couldn't immediately identify. Eagerness? He set the guitar down, fingertips brushing over the varnish as if reluctant to leave it, and accepted the shot.

"What are we drinking to?"

Maa shrugged. "The night is young." His free hand vaguely indicated the rest of the bar with a flourish. "I'm sure we'll think of something."

--Several limes worth of tequila shots later, Hiro was planted on one of the couches, comfortably squished between an attractive if small-breasted woman on one side and Maa on the other. The redhead had been pleasantly surprised to discover that his former rival had a bit of a goofy side to him when the older man had started telling jokes and relating a few amusing anecdotes from his past, punctuating them with gestures and animated facial expressions. There had been a steady flow of drinks, and it hazily occurred to Hiro that he should offer some cash to the older man at the end of the night to cover his share. Or… he'd be of age himself in a couple of months. Maybe he could invite the blond out then as repayment? That was a silly thought, considering how uncertain he had been about meeting with Maa in the first place, but he hadn't been able to relax and enjoy himself out with someone like this since… well, since Shuichi had moved in with Eiri Yuki.

Not that he was jealous or anything! Although it did sometimes feel like Yuki-san monopolized Shuichi's off-time, it wasn't like he and his best friend i never /i got to spend time together. It just tended to be interrupted by fans or by Fujisaki freaking out or K-san waving a gun or Sakano-san panicking or Yuki-san being, well, Yuki-san.

Although Hiro's expression didn't change much, he grew quieter and Maa glanced over at him to see his eyes flicker downward for a moment. Whatever line of thought he was dwelling on, it looked like he could use a distraction. The host downed his latest shot and stood, grabbing hold of the teen's hand to pull him up. Surprised, the redhead let out a quick yelp and needed a moment to catch his balance (not that the copious amounts of tequila in his system helped that). The satin-like material of his shirt caused it to glide against Hiro's torso as he moved, clinging to the concealed planes underneath. In the moment or two that Hiro was distracted, Maa found he couldn't help raking hungry eyes over the redhead. Maybe it was time to play his cards…

Maa snaked an arm around the redhead's waist, serving the dual purpose of helping him to balance and pulling him closer. Using the pretense of the noise in the bar, he leaned in closer to Hiro's ear, noting with satisfaction the slight shiver that ran through the younger man's body when he spoke. "What do you think about spicing things up some?"

Hiro leaned back, hands pushing away from Maa's shoulders enough to make some space between them without freeing himself entirely. He noted the heat from the arm against his back in a distracted manner, his attention preoccupied with the blond's words. His eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"

Removing to his arm, Maa gestured to the instruments on the cramped stage. "A guitar challenge. You versus me, and our audience here gets to vote on the winner."

Electric blue eyes sparked at the thought of the challenge and his fingers itched for the metal strings. "What do I get when I win?" he asked, blood catching fire from the prospect of competition like a dry tree struck by lightning.

"_If _you win…" Maa paused, thinking it over. "What do you want?" The devilish grin that crossed Hiro's face took him aback for a second.

"When I win," Hiro repeated confidently, "you get to proclaim your fanboy love for Bad Luck in front of the entire audience and then serenade them with our latest hit."

It appeared that the redhead had a streak of wicked mischief in him. Maa reddened at the challenge, his pride balking at accepting. Finally, he sighed and nodded. "All right. But if I win," he paused again, letting the moment sink into Hiro's brain. His voice dropped down an octave. "You'll come home with me."

The tips of Hiro's fingers felt numb, most likely because the blood that had filled them was now pumping to various other parts of his body, a slow flush creeping over him as he began to perceive various comments and actions of the blond in a new light. Oh. OH! He swallowed dryly, his voice hoarse. "…all right."

Maa's smile shone with triumph. "Janken for who plays first?"

Hiro checked his back pockets. He thought he still had a pick in one of them from rehearsal. His lips turned up in an impish smirk when he found it. "Let's rock."

_about an hour later_

The redhead hoped that exiting the smoky, crowded bar would help clear his head and bring back a semblance of sanity. He was still charged from dueling guitars with the older man and quite drunk. A lot drunker than he had meant to get, in fact, he thought wryly as he stumbled into the small, rickety elevator just ahead of the blond. He leaned against the wall heavily, closing his eyes to keep the walls from spinning around him. Despite this, his nerves were still sparking, body infused with adrenaline and a well-secured win. A tired, proud smile crept over his lips. He knew he'd played well. The challenge had shot through his system and he'd wrung the rhythm from the guitar like a man possessed, and the crowd had responded in kind. Even the off-key rendition Maa had performed of _Smashing Blue_ - Hiro suspected he'd vocally mutilated it on purpose - couldn't quash the high of victory that ran through him.

"Am I going to have to carry you home?" The blond sighed, closing the elevator doors, eyes on the redhead as a smirk curved his lips. "You could've stopped at any time," he rebuked, fishing a pack of cigarettes out of his breast pocket and lighting a fresh one. He had lost. Taki would be disappointed, but he couldn't quite bring himself to regret issuing the challenge. He'd played the best he had in a long time – the best since ASK's final concert as a matter of fact – but Nakano… Hiro… He shook his head even as he remembered. It had been hard to tell where the redhead's fingertips had ended and the guitar began. Any tone-deaf moron could see that the teen had talent but more than that the passion, the sheer _intensity_ with which he played had been overwhelming. He'd heard the news that Hiro had once quit – or at least almost quit - Bad Luck, but couldn't for the life of him imagine how, not after seeing him play like that.

Hiro groaned, interrupting Maa's thoughts. "Says the man who kept buying us the shots." One blue eye peered open at the blond. In the cramped elevator, they were forced to stand close to each other, almost touching in fact. His stomach flip-flopped in a way that he wanted to blame on the alcohol. The smell of Maa's cigarette dredged up a craving for one of his own and he began to pat down his pockets in search of his own pack.

Maa grinned. "Here." He offered a cigarette to Hiro then stretched one hand out, palm pressing flat against the dingy wall just to the right of the other man's head. Teasing a flame from his lighter, he could feel a darker, lustful side welling up inside of him, complete with a stirring in his pants. He had been lusting after the guitarist since jacking off to his picture in the magazine, and after seeing him play his hormones had surged up like a pregnant woman's third trimester cravings. Question was what was he going to do about it now?

Hiro fumbled with the cigarette. "Thanks," he mumbled, stumbling as the other man tried to help him. He had to rest a hand against the blond's chest to steady himself while he took a long drag off the cigarette. He exhaled with a sigh. He looked at Maa to thank him, only then realizing just how close they were now. An unexpected surge of heat shot through him. His words fell flat and he closed his eyes again, feeling a new wave of dizziness from those strangely green eyes. He wasn't Shuichi, he repeated to himself mentally. It seemed to have become his new mantra. He was drunk. Very, very drunk. This was a bad idea. In fact, this was a Napoleon-invading-Russia-in-the-middle-of-the-winter level of a bad idea. He dropped the cigarette to the floor of the elevator, crushing it under his foot as he took the half-step forward that brought their lips together.

Caught by surprise, Maa's hands shot up to grasp the younger man's upper arms. Hiro swayed on his feet, lips sure against Maa's despite his unbalanced stance. A spasm shook the blond's hands and he squeezed them, pressing Hiro against the wall of the elevator to kiss him back. When he felt Hiro's tongue dart out to lick his bottom lip, he broke the kiss, arms still holding the other man tight. He caught his breath, a twinge of conscious biting at him. "You're drunk." He swallowed, willing his pulse back to its normal pace. "And you won the bet."

The smile that stole across Hiro's lips looked like it belonged more on a sloshed fox spirit than a human being. "I know," he said simply, reaching up to bring Maa's face back to his for another kiss.

**Notes: **The bars mentioned do exist, although not in Tokyo. I have flagrantly abused my artistic license and moved them for the purposes of this fic. "_For Those About to Rock_" is performed by AC-DC (and kicks major ass).

_Janken _- The Japanese name for "paper, rock, scissors". It's played the same exact way and is used to decide **everything**.


	4. Mr Vain

_And here we have it, the smut chapter! Or, well, what's left of it. This version has been edited down to an R to keep with FFN's guidelines. There's still quite a bit of groping and undressing, so it's far from work or child-safe. However, if you want the full porn version, I would recommend you scoot yourself over to gurabiteshiyon and read it there. _

_Again, I don't own Gravitation, and sadly I'm down to only three goldfish. Mr. Vain is by Culture Beat. _

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 4: Mr. Vain**

Once out of the bar, Hiro flagged down one of the many cabs cruising on the street outside, their signs lit up as the drivers waited for people to stumble out of one of the area's many bars. He slid into the back seat and let his head fall back against the seat rest, red hair spilling down his shoulders as he let his companion give the directions to their driver.

The address given, Maa dismissed the cab driver's presence and sidled into the car next to the younger man. Hiro mumbled a half-hearted complaint as the blond eased close and wrapped a possessive arm around his shoulders. The cab started down the street and the motion of it distracted Hiro… right up until warm lips brushed over the skin of his neck. He groaned, not moving his head from the resting area against the seat. One of his hands stole up as if it had its own mind and that mind just had to see what those blond locks would feel like under its fingers.

Maa's lips turned up in a smirk of triumph at the soft touch to his hair. He didn't have the guitarist quite where he wanted him yet, but he was well on the way and it seemed to be requiring very little manipulation on his part. He chuckled softly, nuzzling into the touch as he sank his teeth gently into the redhead's neck and suckled on the skin. God, he was drunk, everything he had ever wanted to do to the redhead spinning in his head. Hiro's groans escalated the hard on he was getting, and he had to discreetly adjust his position as his pants grew tighter.

"You know," he murmured, "if I had been working tonight, you would have racked up a hell of a tab."

"Being the almost-number-one host, I guess you would know," Hiro quipped. He fought with his instinctive reactions, wanting to come off as cool and in control, but he couldn't help squirming slightly in the seat as his own member stirred. A niggling little voice in the back of his head was trying to point out that they weren't exactly in private and therefore he should bring things to a halt for the time being, but Maa's actions felt really nice and his hands and eyelids were heavy with drunken lassitude.

Maa laughed quietly, making a mental note of Hiro's reactions as he reached down to brush a hand over Hiro's abdomen, stilling him with a grin. He thought the night would go just fine. He breathed a husky whisper into Hiro's ear, venturing his hand lower as he cupped the redhead's crotch and squeezed gently. "You can pay me back in full, huh?" he teased.

Hiro gasped out loud at the touch, his hand shooting up to cover his mouth too late to stop the sound. His face burned red as he recalled the taxi driver, and was mortified by what he must be thinking. "Maa-san…" he protested quietly, not wanting to attract any more of their driver's attention. He pushed gently but firmly at the blond's shoulders.

"Yes?" the blond asked, eyes half-lidded as he lifted his gaze to Hiro's and chuckled at the expression on his face.

The redhead swallowed, definitely not wanting the other man to stop but not wanting to continue right there, either. Oh shit... What was he getting himself into? "How much further?" he asked, proud of himself for the steadiness of his voice.

"Not much. Just around the corner," he answered resting his forehead against Hiro's shoulders, but leaving his hand where it was. His warm breath exhaled against the redhead's chest. When the taxi finally pulled to a stop in front of an expensive-looking apartment complex, Maa pulled away with a sigh and Hiro all but jumped out of the cab.

On the sidewalk, the teen fought hard to control his breathing. He couldn't look behind him at the taxi driver due to a strong suspicion that if he did, he'd burst into flames. Meanwhile, Maa paid the driver and slinked from the cab, staggering out with a grin as he shook his head to get his bearings. He looked far too complacent for a man who only moments ago seemed to have been set on ravishing Hiro in front of a live audience.

Smugness practically radiating from his strides, Maa led the way to his apartment. The elevator ride this time was smoother and much quicker than the one at the bar and he spent the majority of it digging through his pockets in search of his house key. The alcohol in his system caused the search to take longer than usual and he let out a growl of frustration before finally finding the right key. By the time he forced his apartment door open, the majority of his self-satisfaction had evaporated and Hiro's lips had quirked up in an amused little smirk.

Maa held the door open and Hiro hesitated a moment, fighting with himself. This was his last chance to back out and for a moment he considered it, but in the end victory went to his hormones and lust won out over caution. People had one-night stands all the time; what harm could there be in a little fooling around? He stepped inside the apartment and toed off his shoes, face not showing his nervousness as he took a quick look around the apartment.

"Nice place," he said, impressed. It was actually a little larger than his, and the décor was significantly more opulent. It seemed like Maa had a taste for comfort and his apartment reflected that, appointed in tasteful luxury. From the entryway he could spy a black-lacquered table and chairs flush against a black leather couch resting on top of a square tan carpet, an entertainment center decked out with a large screen television and various other electronics. An electric guitar rested in a stand near the couch. Beyond the living space lay a doorway that he assumed led to the kitchen as the hardwood flooring seemed to give way to tiles. That implied that the closed doors on his left side must lead to the bedroom and bathroom respectively.

Maa smiled, allowing Hiro to take the place in. He gestured for him to go ahead and wander, following as Hiro did just that. "Thanks. It's decent." He shrugged. "Certainly can't complain."

Hiro nodded, his feet finally dawdling to a halt inside the kitchen. He glanced at the appliances without any real interest. He still felt rather unsteady on his feet, but not quite as drunk as before. The heady rush from earlier and false courage supplied by the tequila had faded and in their absence he felt out of place, unsure of what to do next. Should he wait and make small talk or should he make a move, inviting Maa to continue what he had started in the taxi?

The blond in question grinned as he stepped into his own place with obvious ease, shrugging off his suit jacket and draping it over a chair. "So, you still interested in picking up where we left off?" he asked, a seductive gleam in his eye as he approached Hiro.

A grin flittered over the redhead's lips in reply. Looked like that made his decision for him. He leaned back against one of Maa's kitchen counters, lips upturned in a smug expression. "What do I owe you for the taxi?"

Maa smirked, lazily unbuttoning his own shirt. "Well, there's the drinks and the cab. I'd say quite a bit." He gave a flirtatious wink then stepped forward, reaching out to outline Hiro's face.

"Oh yeah." Hiro's voice was quiet, his bottom lip moving slightly under the blond's thumb. "Forgot about the drinks."

His breath caught a second as Maa registered that movement beneath the pad of his thumb. He wondered if Hiroshi knew just how attractive he was. Covering the moment with a chuckle, he slid his thumb along the line of that lip. "You can pay me back in full, you said?" he teased. "Or I could always bill your manager, if you'd prefer."

Hiro flushed with embarrassment at that, his hands moving to either side of Maa's waist. "Let's just not tell him about this at all." He moved so that he was pressing against the older man instead of the counter.

Maa's fingers slipped into his hair and brushed it back, a small smile on his face as he pulled Hiro closer. "Alright, you've got a deal," he said, working to remove Hiro's shirt. He watched the redhead even as Hiro watched him, the younger man's eyes fixated on the fingers pulling at the small, pearl-finished buttons. The guitarist helped out, shrugging his arms so that the shirt slid off easier. Maa felt Hiro's hands tug on his pants, pulling him in for a kiss. He tossed the shirt aside and returned the kiss, moaning as he deepened it and wrapped his arms tightly around the redhead. As expected, Hiro felt good in his arms, tanned skin smooth and warm against his own, the teen as tall as he was but slimmer, his build slighter. He forced his tongue into Hiro's mouth, exploring it as he rested his hands on the redhead's lower back and ground down against him with a low moan.

Hiro made a sound deep in his throat, opening his mouth to the kiss. Yeah, this was exactly what he needed: touch, heat, and very little thought. He allowed himself to be swept away by the moment and by the feel of rough hands caressing his back. He imagined that his own fingers must have felt similar, both sets of fingertips permanently callused from years of playing the guitar. That thought sent a thrill up his spine and he shivered, tongue brushing against the blond's.

When Maa ground against him, he pressed back, wanting more of the sensation. Hands caught hold of his hips, stilling his movements as the older man broke the kiss, lips wandering south. Hiro's breath caught in his throat when the blond bit down, suckling hard on his skin. He hadn't gone this far with another man since graduating from high school, and most of that had been fumbling touches in dim corners with partners just as inexperienced as he had been. Maa's confident, skilled touches were worlds away from his high school experimentations.

"Shall we continue this somewhere more suitable?" Maa asked, kneading Hiro's lower back with a grin and noting the glazed look as it crept into his eyes.

Hiro nodded and, after a pause, managed a breathy reply. "Yeah."

Maa grinned. "Good boy," he purred, keeping the redhead close as he guided him to the bedroom.

Hiro's eyes sparked at that. "I'm not a dog," he said sharply.

"No, not a dog," Maa agreed good-naturedly. His eyes flickered away from the redhead to pinpoint the distance from the bed then brushed his lips down the bare chest, pausing to suckle on a nipple. "A fox," he declared decisively, suddenly giving a sharp nip to the little nub.

Hiro's knees banged against the back of the bed as he about jumped out of his skin at the bite. His ass didn't hit the bed hard enough to hurt but there was still enough momentum for him to bounce a little on the mattress. He flung a hand out, grasping for something to steady himself with. His hands dug into the smooth sheets, using them to pull himself further up on the mattress. Smirking, Maa pressed the redhead down onto his bed and grinned, moving to suckle on the other nipple.

Hiro wriggled, lifting his upper body with his elbows. "That was cheating," he argued obstinately.

"Do you really care?" Maa purred, sliding his hand down Hiro's pants and caressing him gently through the snug-fitting jeans.

Hiro let himself fall back against the bed, head thudding softly on the pillow. "I suppose I should have expected it from you," he managed to say. He yanked on the sleeves of the older man's unbuttoned shirt to pull Maa to him. He kissed him forcefully, deft fingers undoing the button of the older man's pants and cupping his hardness in return.

Maa returned the kiss, groaning against Hiro's lips as he pressed into his hand. "True," he teased, squeezing Hiro's length as he eased the guitarist's pants down. His breath hitched for a moment in anticipation as Hiro bit his lip, lifting his hips so that the jeans could be removed more easily. Maa pulled them the rest of the way off with a chuckle, leaning forward to brush his tongue cat-like up his newly freed prize. Appeased with his perceived victory in their little argument, Hiro was caught off-guard by the devious tongue and gasped loudly, hips moving up in response. Maa nuzzled the teen's inner thigh then moved back up to steal a kiss.

"Good," Hiro hummed, dipping his head down to nibble gently on the blond's collarbone and rolling them over so that he was on top, straddling the older man's thighs. He stretched a hand out to stroke the hard bulge in the blond's half-undone pants, unzipping them and easing his erection out and into the air.

Maa moaned, pulling Hiro up to claim his lips once more. "Damn." He deepened the kiss, locking their lips together hard with a predatory growl.

Tongue and teeth battled for dominance, Hiro reluctantly giving ground to the greater knowledge, experience, and skill of the older man on this particular battlefield. He shivered as Maa's growl shot a wave of heat straight through him. He caught a smirk from the blond just before he found himself hugged tight, Maa using his own weight to roll the redhead over. The teen's breath caught as he found himself once more on his back with the blond over him. He fought to brush his own damp strands of hair out of his face, sweat plastering them to his forehead.

"Checkmate," Maa smirked.

_smutsmutsmut_

Hiro's chest felt heavy, his heart beating a mile a minute within it. His hands rose to cup the blond's face, biting down lightly on his lower lip as he kissed the other man. Now and then, an aftershock would run up his legs, causing them to shake underneath of Maa's. "God..." he breathed out, feeling relaxed and exhausted in the afterglow.

Maa chuckled at that as he nuzzled into the younger man's hands, heart racing and thumping hard against his chest as he cooled down. A low murmur passed through his lips as he pulled out of Hiro and plopped down beside him. "Not so bad was it? Told you it got better."

A shiver ran through Hiro's back as the other man rolled off, making it easy to justify curling towards him. Callused fingertips lightly stroked Maa's forearm with an unaccustomed tentativeness. Hiro made a murring sound as he considered, comparing the residual soreness with the warm, languid feeling in his body. "Fuck off," he repeated his earlier words with a yawn instead of the earlier heat. "It's not exactly like male sex was a topic on the entrance exams," he added in a defensive tone after another moment.

Maa laughed at that and drew Hiro close. "Well, I could be your teacher if you'd like." He gave a flirtatious wink, tossing the used condom into the bedside trash and reaching over for his pack of cigarettes with a soft grunt.

Was he implying…? Did he want to do that again? As in, on a regular basis? Hiro flexed his toes nervously. He shouldn't read too much into things, he decided. "Should I go?" he asked, voice still husky.

Maa shook his head. "Stay? You don't have to go if you don't want to," he said, lighting up a cigarette and drawling on it slowly as he kept his gaze fixed on Hiro.

The younger man made a sound low in his throat, rolling over on top of Maa. "All right." He removed the cigarette, carefully holding it away from both of them so that he could steal a smoke-flavored kiss for himself.

"Good," Maa purred and outlined Hiro's face, green eyes flickering faintly with mischievousness.

A playful grin crossed Hiro's own lips as he returned the cigarette. "Mind if I steal your shower?"

Catching the cigarette between his fingers, Maa grinned, leaning back against the headboard. "Not at all. Make yourself at home."

Hiro slid off of Maa and to the side of the bed. He stood and stretched, his backside to the older man as he tugged at his hair to smooth it down, back curving to work out the kinks caused from a rather liberal pounding into the mattress.

The blond leaned back and watched the younger man with a grin, drawling on his cigarette under even breaths. "Towels are over there," he said, gesturing to the laundry closet.

Hiro hummed a tune that had appeared in his head out of the blue, making it up as he went along. He grabbed a towel, holding it loosely over his lower torso as he looked back at Maa. "So which way to the shower?"


End file.
